FIFA transfer bans: Why Rwandan clubs should pay the price

Every club in the world wants good players and, in every transfer window, a wide range of scouting is done, players also come for trials while others are signed on straight deals. Rwandan clubs are no exception, the country's football has developed tremendously over the past years and the local league is now attracting a host of players from across the African continent. ALSO READ: FIFA bans Rayon Sports from registering foreign players However, some of the clubs are still exhibiting lack of professionalism and they end up dragged by the players and their lawyers to world football governing body, FIFA, over breach of contract. The past years have seen the likes of Rwandan clubs like Rayon Sports, Kiyovu Sports, Etincelles and Mukura VS slapped transfer bans over breaching contracts of their players or coaches. For instance, Rayon Sports were on separate occasions charged for breaching contracts or failing to pay their dues of the likes of Tanzanian pay goalkeeper Ramadhan Kabwili and Congolese coach Raoul Shungu among others. Kiyovu Sports were also charged for not paying Sudanese player Sharaf Shaiboub, and now Etincelles is the latest Rwandan club serving FIFA’s transfer ban over breach of players’ contracts. Normally, club administrators are the real cause of the problem where they find themselves in a situation where a coach does not want a player whom they sometimes buy without his recommendation. They fail to communicate to players they don't need for the coming season early and, when the transfer window nears conclusion, they tell players to leave when has nowhere to go. This is what has exactly happened to midfielder Jerome Iniesta when Rubavu-based Etincelles FC declined to pay even a fraction of his transfer fee. The Ghanaian dragged them to FIFA resulting in the latter imposing a ban on the club from buying any player until they pay him an amount of $7020 which is equivalent to Rwf 8,850,000. Notwithstanding, clubs such as APR, Gorilla, Gasogi, Police manage to act professionally where, before the season ends, they communicate to all their players about their fate before the new season begins and this those whose services are not needed anymore to find new clubs. After that, they bring out an official release concerning players they have parted ways with. This enables the players to find new clubs during the transfer window. It is time teams like Etincelles learn lessons from these club and start acting professional on their transfer business and it will help them to avoid unnecessary FIFA bans and fines. Also, they must pay their players the signing-on fee agreed upon. Rwandan clubs must also form partnerships with other teams on the African continent, in which players they do not need can be sent on loan. Rayon formed a partnership with Raja Casablanca and they had Rharb Youssef. Football in Rwanda has been on the right pathway in the last couple of years attracting more foreign players and this has greatly had an impact on the national team as it has made the local players lift up their game. Some of the clubs must put their house in order and do things well to avoid putting the league’s reputation into the mud.